1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to building construction materials and, more particularly, to an apparatus for fabricating precast concrete wall sections.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
It is known to provide prefabricated concrete wall sections for use in, for example, constructing building basements. In general, prefabricated or precast concrete wall sections are generally manufactured using a fixed dimension form. In one known approach a uniform thickness, fixed length wall is provided. In another known approach, a substantially unitary precast concrete wall section is provided having vertically-extending side-edge flanges and a plurality of spaced rib portions separating intervening cavities. Yet another known approach provides a variable length, but fixed, uniform thickness wall section. There are a wide variety of other variations found in the art.
There are several advantages, in general, to the use of precast concrete sections, most notably the increased dimensional control obtained by the manufacturer of the section by the manufacture thereof in a controlled setting. However, there are several shortcomings associated with the known approaches taken in the art for making such wall sections.
One disadvantage pertains to the fixed dimension type form. Since the form is dimensionally fixed, only one size of concrete wall section may be made therefrom. This results in an increased number of forms required to produce the wide range of sizes needed to accommodate various construction requirements. Moreover, since space limitations dictate that not all of the forms can be setup and available for use at all times, only the most frequently used forms are setup. This results in an increased inventory, since the operator generally makes a number of the seldom-needed precast concrete sections, some for later use. Maintaining large inventories of concrete wall sections is undesirable.
While the variable length, uniform thickness type wall section referred to above overcomes some of these shortcomings, the uniform thickness of the wall is undesirable because it leads to increased weight due to unnecessary usage of concrete (i.e., compared to the cavity/rib type wall section). There are substantial difficulties in producing a variable length, cavity/rib type wall section, since if the desired length causes a side end of the wall to fall in the middle of a cavity, such side end will have an insufficient wall thickness, making it structurally unusable.
There is therefore a need to provide an improved precast concrete wall section, and a system for making the same, that minimizes or eliminates one or more of the shortcomings as set forth above.